Nabati Oud by Astrophil & Stella

Let’s see. I have Nabati, and I bought this one because it sounded fantastic, like a dream come true. “Nabati + Oud? Sounds like the ultimate perfume!” Nothing could be further from the truth. At first only the oud stands out, a faecal oud; I’ll openly say it smells like shit. I don’t know if the people who say “it smells like a barn” are saying it out of refinement and political correctness or because they have never smelt a real oud in their lives; but this one smells like shit. After the first / first two hours, it calms down and an intoxicating smell of talcum powder, hairspray, and senile octogenarian begins to bloom. I don’t know what kind of atrocity they have done to my poor Nabati, but it has certainly got worse. The longetivity is astonishing, that’s for sure. The evolution could be improved. Once the first4 hours have passed (and been suffered), during which I only wished, for the first time in my life, to suffer olfactory fatigue and spend a couple of days with a dysfunctonal nose; on the skin (with soft projection) there remains a very elegant and rounded aroma. Is the bitter pill worth it for the perfume’s drydown after4 hours? Absolutely not. Is it, really, that bad? Yes, horriple. Is it Nabati or an improved Nabati? No. It is an attempted murder of Nabati that, fortunately, does not even come close. The chap below who comments that it opens citrusy either did not smell the perfume in question, or the smell of putrefaction at the opening gave him an olfactory stroke, because there is no way. It is not subjactive. The sky is blue, and Nabati Oud smells like shit.

All my life I have been a lover of perfumes, and I have recently started collecting them. I wanted to take the step of wearing perfumes with the animalic oud note to better understand the facet of this wood that is so famous today, but there were some fragrances for which my nose was not yet ready. Fortunately, on a visit to a very famous shop in Mexico City, where I live, a specialist in niche perfumery, I was able to discover this perfume that captivated me from the first sniff. It begins with a citrusy-spicy opening with a light animalic oud touch, which does not cause the repulsion of more specialised fragrances for expert noses. This “cheese” sensation fades in about 30 minutes, leaving a highly elegant scent that projects for about 3 hours, with a longevity on the skin of 10 to 12 hours. I can say without fear of being wrong that it is one of my best perfumes, which will help me understand oud better in this more challenging facet and prepare me for a greater challenge on this olfactory journey. I highly recommend it as an excellent fragrance if you want to start exploring this note widely used in the East with the animalic facet.

Look, I already owned Nabati and bought this because it sounded incredible, like a dream made real. ‘Nabati plus Oud? Sounds like the ultimate fragrance.’ Nothing could be further from the truth. At first, only the oud stands out, a faecal oud; openly, I say it smells like shit; I don’t know if those who say it smells like a stable say it out of refinement or because they’ve never smelt authentic oud, but this smells like shit. After an hour or two, it drops and blooms into an intoxicating smell of talcum powder, hairspray, and an elderly person. I don’t know what atrocity they’ve done to my Nabati, but it’s gone downhill. The longevity is amazing, that’s true. The development, could be better. After suffering the first four hours, where I just wished for olfactory fatigue and days with my nose taped shut, it settles on the skin with soft projection into an elegant, rounded aroma. Is the initial misery worth it for the base after 4 hours? Absolutely not. Is it that bad? Yes, horrible. Is it Nabati or an improved Nabati? No. It’s an assassination attempt on Nabati that, fortunately, doesn’t even come close. Those who say it comes out citrusy either can’t smell or had an olfactory heart attack from the putrefaction smell at the start, there’s no way. It’s not subjective. The sky is blue and the Nabati Oud smells like shit.

I’m a fragrance collector and wanted to try animalised oud to better understand this trendy wood, but I was afraid my nose might not be ready. At a famous niche shop in Mexico City, I tried this scent and loved it instantly. It begins citrusy-spiced with a soft animalised oud that doesn’t repel like more intense versions. That cheese-like smell vanishes in 30 minutes, leaving pure elegance that projects for about 3 hours and lasts 10 to 12 on the skin. Without a doubt, it’s one of my favourites; it helped me understand the challenging side of oud and prepare me for greater challenges. I recommend it if you want to explore this oriental note with its animal facet safely.